12 – Who Can Afford to Raise Such a Little Fox?
Hearing this, Guan Yin was momentarily stunned.
At the Beijing Dance Academy, such things were actually quite common. After all, most of the students were graceful young beauties who could catch the eyes of influential figures.
It was just that Guan Yin considered herself above such matters and had never thought about it before.
But if the person in question was—Xie Jingchuan.
“Second Young Master…” Guan Yin rose from the opposite side and directly sat down beside the man.
The man’s physique and appearance were nearly perfect, his upturned eyes lazily drifting, smiling as he glanced at her, “Hmm?”
If nothing else, that gaze was just as captivating as Xie Yurao’s.
“I… I can.”
The pure and innocent campus belle blushed, slowly leaning toward his exquisitely refined shoulder.
Just as she was about to rest against him, a pair of slender hands appeared at her waist, stopping her from leaning any closer.
“Sweetheart, so eager, are you?”
The man’s voice beside her ear carried a hint of laughter, the term of endearment making one’s heart melt.
Just as Guan Yin was blushing and her heart racing, she suddenly heard him laugh and utter another sentence.
“Too bad, I don’t fancy you.”
“…”
In an instant, Guan Yin’s expression froze, “…What do you mean?”
Xie Jingchuan lowered his gaze to look at her, his amorous eyes holding a faint, superficial smile. “Exactly what it means. Whether you can get the Venus invitation depends on your performance tonight.”
Guan Yin was stunned, suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding as she murmured, “Didn’t you already recommend me to the organizers? You said they were very satisfied with me.”
“That’s right.”
Xie Jingchuan withdrew his hand, took a wet wipe, and leisurely wiped his long fingers.
“The organizers were indeed satisfied. Unfortunately, the spots are already full.”
Guan Yin: “??”
“The only way for you to get an invitation now…”
In Guan Yin’s impression of Xie Jingchuan, this man had always been handsome and outstanding. Though he was known for being a playboy, he was also called a medical professor, making him the idol of many girls.
Until now, when he smirked and said,
“Make one of the people ahead of you disappear.”
“Then the invitation will be yours, won’t it?”
Sunlight enveloped him, his silver hair shining almost sacredly, yet a chill ran down her spine, covered in cold sweat.
Xie Jingchuan placed the wet wipe on her shoulder, his elegant hand descending to pat it twice as if bestowing a favor.
“The opportunity has been created. Perform well tonight.”
After Xie Jingchuan strode away with his long legs, Guan Yin remained unable to regain her composure for a long time.
For the first time, she saw the phrase “heart as venomous as a snake” in a man.
Beneath Xie Jingchuan’s exquisite and dazzling exterior, just how much dark, festering malice was hidden?
But she had no other choice.
Now, the entire high-society circle in Ancheng knew she had received the Venus invitation. She was like an arrow on the bowstring, forced to act.
“Xie Yurao.”
Guan Yin clenched her fingers, murmuring, “Since you’ve been absent from school for so long, letting the title of campus belle fall to me…”
“Then you shouldn’t go to the Venus celebration either…”
…
Xie Jingchuan truly lived up to growing up with Xie Yurao, understanding the little fox’s thoughts perfectly.
That evening, Xie Yurao dragged Tan Shen along to the jewelry auction.
“Madam asked me to bring you to Ancheng to have dance shoes custom-made.”
Though it was a bit late to say this, Tan Shen had to say it.
When would this little fox’s playful nature ever change? Even as an injured person, she loved running around everywhere.
Xie Yurao, wearing soft slippers, looked around with sparkling eyes.
Hearing this, she looked up and replied, “But I have no jewelry left to wear.”
Tan Shen: “?”
Say that again?
The eldest daughter of the Xie family loved beauty. Aside from the bedroom, the entire third floor of the villa was filled with her walk-in closets and jewelry rooms.
The jewelry was priceless, truly befitting a delicate beauty born amidst splendor and luxury.
Xie Yurao said matter-of-factly, “How can last year’s jewelry possibly match this year’s me?”
“…”
Tan Shen was almost amused by her absurdity. “What nonsense.”
The staff invited her to take a seat. Xie Yurao sat in her spot, casually flipping through the auction catalog, which was filled with dazzling vintage jewelry.
She looked on with interest, chattering away, “This one is pretty.”
“This one is pretty too.”
The fickle young lady was indeed not only fickle with people but also with jewelry.
Unable to decide among the things she liked, she simply declared with bold extravagance, “Only children make choices. I want them all!”
“…”
Tan Shen glanced down. He didn’t understand much about these things, but these glittering, luxurious trinkets seemed to suit her temperament perfectly.
The jewelry at the auction was precious, and she had pointed out two whole pages’ worth—an astronomical sum.
Tan Shen chuckled softly and said casually, “Xie Yurao, who could ever afford to keep you in the future?”
Although Madam Xie was strict, she did indeed dote on her. But if the two Xie brothers seized the family fortune in the future, forget about spending money on her—they’d be lucky not to try to kill her.
Xie Yurao’s slender, pale fingers rested on the catalog. Hearing this, she tilted her head slightly.
After a brief moment of thought, she turned her gaze toward him.
“You, of course~”
Meeting her captivatingly beautiful eyes, Tan Shen was momentarily stunned.
Then he looked away, his tone indifferent. “I have no intention of keeping you.”
So delicate, so extravagant, and so troublesome.
Who could afford to raise such a little fox?
Suddenly, a voice filled with ordinary confidence rang in his ears. “I’ll keep her!”
Tan Shen: “?”
A wealthy young man strode over with confident steps, straightened his tie and hair, and finally stopped in front of Xie Yurao.
He flashed a graceful smile and said in a refined tone, “As the ancients said, ‘Jewelry should adorn a beauty.’ How could you treat such a stunning beauty like this, brother?”
Perhaps the phrase “stunning beauty” pleased the little fox.
She rested her chin on her hand, blinked her eyes, and said nothing.
Tan Shen glanced at the newcomer and retorted, “Which ancient said that?”
The wealthy young man: “…”
He was just trying to sound cultured. Who the hell knew which ancient said it?
He stiffened his neck and replied, “That… isn’t important.”
Then he shifted the topic. “What’s important is that, as this beauty’s boyfriend, you refused her simple request. Such behavior is truly outrageous.”
Tan Shen: “?”
Boyfriend?
Xie Yurao, her jade-white fingers propping up her chin, let out a heavy, aggrieved hum in agreement. “Mm!”
Tan Shen: “??”
The wealthy young man, taking in Tan Shen’s exceptional appearance, didn’t think of him as a bodyguard and assumed he was a young master from some wealthy family.
Now, seeing the beauty agree, he felt a surge of tender pity.
He gave Tan Shen a disdainful look and shook his head. “Too much.”
Xie Yurao also hummed in agreement. “Way too much!”
Tan Shen: “…”
Headache.
The wealthy young man, seeing him remain silent, clearly took it as a guilty admission and couldn’t help but criticize, “As they say, you can’t judge a book by its cover. He looks generous enough, yet he’s so stingy.”
Xie Yurao almost couldn’t hold back a laugh.
A faint impatience flickered in Tan Shen’s eyes as he said in a low voice, “That’s enough.”
His words were directed at Xie Yurao, but his cold gaze swept over the man.
The wealthy young man felt an inexplicable chill under that icy stare, but then he thought—why should he be afraid of this stingy man?
So he lowered his gaze to Xie Yurao and openly tried to steal her away.
“If the beauty doesn’t mind, why not let me pay for you instead?”
Xie Yurao gave him a sweet smile. “Sure.”
Tan Shen: “…”